Apparatus for hydrogenating oils



G. MARTIN,

APPARATUS FOR HYDROGENATING OILS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE I0. 1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l- Patented Mar. 9,1920.

G. MARTIN.

APPARATUS FOR HYDROGENATING OILS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 10. I919.

1,333,328. Patented Mar. 9,1920.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

- 72 jam-J! To all whom it may concern U E AT PATENT crimes; I

GEOFFREY MARTIN, OF MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

ArrAnA'rus son HYnnoeENAr'me OILS.

Be it known that I, GEOFFREY.MARTI N, D. Sc, Ph. D., a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residin at 109. Corporation street,'l\fanchester, in land, have invented certain new and usefu Improvements in Apparatus for Hydrogenating Oils,

of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to an improved aparatus for hydrogenating or hardening oil. eretofore, processes that have been employed for the hydrogenation of oil are discontinuous and suffer therefore from the difliculties which are pertment to a discontmuous process. For example, In ordinary processes as at present known, large masses of oil weighing a terror more are treated in batches in massive autoclaves and are atrmg and mixing the oil.

tendant with additional difficulties in stirs The presentinvention has primarily for; its ob ect to provide an improved apparatus in which may be carried out a process which differs from those mentioned above in that it .is continuous and therefore presents a great advance upon existing methods.

Another object of the invention is to pro: vide means by which the oil is treated in a relatively thin stream instead of in bulk-in I an externally heated vessel, a' very thorough admixture of hydrogen and oil being thereby produced in a short space of time accompanied by considerable economy in regard to the heating medium employed.

vA further object of the invention is to obviate the necessity for bafiles, stirring gear and other apparatus which must be used 'where oil is treated in bulk in large vessels with. the result that there are fewer parts liable to get out of order while cleanin and inspection are rendered much more simple operations.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a plant forthe hydrogenatiouof H fats oils and the likeconstructed according to the invention and Fig 2 is a diagrammatic representation of v a modified form ofthe invention.

a indicates a reservoir or vessel into which a charge of oil, which may have been reheated to a suitable temperature and-w ch contains a suitable catalyst is introduced.

The vessel a has an oil inlet 6 in its upper portion, an oil outlet 0, at its base, and a gas "outlet 6, thelatter being in circuit with a Specification in? Letters Patent. 1 Pa,tented M a I A.pp1ication filed June 10,1919. Serial No. 303,109.

and connected to a number. of conduits or impregnating pipes i surrounded ,by steam ackets 7 or other external heatmg means. The conduits z may be arranged in series or in parallel to the oilsupply and can be dis:

posed either vertically,- horizontally, or at any angle but the oil flow should be prefer-' ably in a direction away from the vessel a to a clrculating pump or the like is whichreturns the oil through'pipesl and m to the inlet 6 and'thus mamtams a circulatory systern. The temperature level of the heated oil is indicated by a thermometer or thermo-indicator 11 disposed as shown in the pipe Z.

, It will beobserved that the heating of the oil is effected, not in the containing vessel as I is usually the case, but by means of the heated conduits external to the containing vessel.

heated vessel as in the ordinary practice.-

The means. employed .to effect the admixture of hydrogen with the oil consist in providing every conduit 5 with an internally As these conduits can be made in, any number or length, heating can take a place at any prearran' ed speed and the utili-- zation of heat is muc more rapid and eco-= nomical than heating in a large externally projecting and perforated hydrogen supply pipe o'in circuit with the hydrogen gas main 4) and preferably closed or partial y..closed at their ends remote from said main.-

The main 1) connectsthe gas outletd of l the vessel 0 with the circulating pump 6 and also connects the pipes 0 with a secon ump g for introducing-fresh supplies of hydrogen. The pipe Z; is Irovided with an outlet 1' forthe'treated oi eontrolled by a] valve 8,

The operation of apparatusconstructed according to this form of the invention 18 as follows 1 a A constant stream efi eil is'caused to pass through the 'conduits'z' by the pump is and :hydrogen under pressure from the pum e is forced into the heatedoil, the-tendency of the gas being to bubble through the oil I and escape into the vessel a, from whichjt is withdrawnby the pump e, a flow of hydrogen gas being-thus created in minute division and in the opposite direction to the flow of oil. By means a very intimate takes {place, rendering unnecessary the use ofba es, stirring gear or similar devices usually employed to achieve the same purpose in Va close vessel. Further, where a number of conduits are employed, they'caii easily heal-ranged so as to he s iort circuited for cleansing or like purposes and their inspection or cleaning calls neither for skill nor a stoppage of the operation.

According to the modified form of theinrention shown in Fi ened is pumped in a steady stream into a preheater 1 where it is allowed either sufficient time to become heated,the degree of heat depending upon the quality of the oil under treatment or' else the flow through the preheater is of such rate that in its passage it can acquire sufficient heat. A second tank 2 is employed in which a'batch of the same oil is intimately mixed with the catalyzing zigent of a known type. This is also warmed and brought up tents of the oil tank 2 which are heavily charged with the catalyzing agent are now pumped by a suitable form of pump 3 through a pipe 4 and caused .to mingle with the oil from the preheating tank 1, both these oils after mixing 'being. again pumpe a pump 5 or otherwise through a piped into a reservoir 7 at such a height that the contents of the reservoir can fiow down into a series of impregnatmg pipes S. Theseimpregnatin pipes 8 are disposed may each be prosteam or hot a r passes upwardly through-a main pipe 12' connecting the end of all the perforated es 1(. which are preferably. fitted'at their ends adj: cent the main pipe 12 with pressure gages 13 and stop cocks 14; The main pipe 12 passes to the upper end of the reservoir 7 apump 15 being preferably disposed at a convenient point in the length of the pipe 'to withdraw hydrogen which accumulates above the oil in the reservoir 7 as described in connection with Fig. 1. ,The impregnating pipes 8 are preferably arranged for a sinuous flow and are either of considerable length or of a very large number connected in series as shown. \Vithin these pipes the operation of hardening takesin a thinstreambeing subjected to the influence of the hydrogen, the whole of the pipes 8 being inclosed, within the steam chest 9 for the purpose of maintainin the pipes at the most critical temperature for harden- 2. the oil to be hard to the,=same temperature as a the oil from theprehe'atingtank. The cond' by suitably elevated through said conduits in a A number of perforated gas pipes conduits rforated as 8 and 10 whereby pe g i the oil supplied tosaid reservoir,

tio'n of said reservoir,

place; the oil means for preheatm mg. The hardened oil passes away from-the impregnating system of pipes into a cooler 16 from whence it is forcednby a pump 17 through a filter press 18 or centrifugal ma- 7'0 its treated condition for chine in order to remove catalyst and from which it emerges in storage purposes. The escaping hydrogen ultimately forces its way through the oil and that portion not absorbed passes into the reservoir 7 containing the mixed oils from which it is withdrawn by the pump 15 and again circulated through the impregnatingsystem, the loss being made up from the reservoir 11. The rate at which the oil is hardened depends entirely uponthelength of the impregnating pipes and the quantity of hydrogen gas it meets in passing in a film down these pipes. Consequent y any degree of hardening can be regulated either by controlling the supply of hydrogen or' by atranging the pipes with by-passes whereby the contents can be driven off at any con,- venient stage.

It is to be understood that although the term Oil has specification, are intended their state under heat treatment.

I claim: 1. Apparatus for I oils and the like, comprising externally heated conduits, perforated gas pipes disposed within said conduits, means for causing a current of hydrogen to issue fromsaid pipes, and means for causing oil to flow direction oppos te been used throughout this liquid fats, waxes and the like to that of the hydrogen.

the hydrogenation ofto be covered as describing 2. Apparatus for the hydrogenation of oils and the like, comprising externally heated pipes disposed within said. conduits, means current of hydrogen to issue from said pipes, means for causing oil'to flow through said conduits in a direction opposite to that of the hydrogen, continuous circulation, of hydrogen and 011.

3. Apparatus for the hydrogenation of oils and the like, comprising an oil reservoir, meansfor preheating. oil supplied to said reservoir, means for -introducingcatalyst to heated con-v base of said reservoir,

duits connected to the a pump for returning connecting a number .of perforated PIPES within said conduits witha source of hydrofor the hydrogenation of oils and. means for maintaining a.

an oilreservoir,

for causing a oil to the upper -po r-- a hydrogen gas main a plurality I30 of heated conduits, means for causing oil to flow from said reservoir through said conduits, perforated pipes within said conduits,

means for forcing hydrogen through said pipes to flow in a direction opiposite to that i of the oil, and means for with 1 swing, cooling and filtering the oil treated in said conduits. Y

5. Apparatus for the hydrogenationof oils and the like comprising an oil reservoir, heated conduits connected to the base of said reservoir, a. pump for returningoil to the I upper portion of said reservoir, a hydrogen gas main connecting a number of perforated pipes w1th1n said conduits with a source of .15

' hydrogen suppiy and with the upper portion of said reservolr and a pump in circuit with said gas main for maintaining the hydrogen in circulation.

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature 20 g in presence ofitwo witnesses.

GEOFFREY MARTIN.

Witnesses: G. P..'YoUno, A. R. J. RAMSEY. 

